Many people have had to switch to working from home during the ongoing health crisis, which in turn means that you need to adapt your living environment to be more productive. Then again, many have had to go back to the office, which can be another stressful transition. What do both of these scenarios have in common? The need to make your home a serene, healthful environment that inspires emotional and mental wellbeing, focus, and mindfulness. And one of the best ways to do this is to decorate with natural elements.
If you add the changing seasons into the mix, you have another reason to support this redesign effort of yours. To introduce more tranquility into your home, you can rely on Mother Nature for help and inspiration. When you decorate with natural elements, be it the right fabrics, textures, prints, or tones, it allows you to tap into your innermost sense of peace and to feel good under your own roof. Here’s where you can begin.
Start with warm and subtle colors
Defining the color palette for your walls and main furniture pieces is what sets the tone for your home. Although you might find certain vivid colors such as neon green alluring in your wardrobe, to foster a nature-inspired design, you should go for more delicate tones.
For instance, beige is a great wall color that gives you plenty of space for creativity with the colors for your furniture. Olive and emerald green both work well with beige, but you can also go with a range of pastels for your walls paired with darker, but warmer wooden tones for your focal furniture pieces.
Introduce greenery
Sometimes to achieve more, you need less. In this case, perhaps some stress in your home stems from the fact that your space is overcrowded with things, some with, some without purpose. To help destress yourself and your home, it’s wise to declutter your home, and instead of too many knickknacks, you can introduce more greenery to your space. Houseplants are a great way to decorate with natural elements.
Go with plants that are both healthy and require little maintenance to flourish, such as aloe vera, pothos, the spider plant, and the peace lily. And then make a macrame plant hanger for added texture and convenience. They’ll purify your indoor air, and their lovely green palette will have an immensely soothing effect on your mind.
Sustainable comfort with cozy additions
Accessories might not be crucial in terms of function all the time, but they certainly contribute to creating a serene atmosphere that helps you relax and unwind. To add some warmth to your floors (and improve insulation at the same time), you can add versatile rugs made of recycled materials such as cotton and leather.
Rugs are a simple, yet effective way to make your rooms cozier, all the while choosing natural over synthetic fabrics. Add throw pillows to your sofa and lounge chairs for extra coziness, and you’ll likely find your rooms significantly more calming than ever, evoking that perfect hygge feel. If you have a pet, go with rugs, pillows, and furniture covers that are durable, too.
Natural materials at every turn
Sustainability comes in many shapes and forms. If you’re already switching how you add accessories into your home by going with green fabrics and durability, you can also consider ditching plastic and other harmful materials in the design of your home. This approach gives you peace of mind and allows you to feel the many perks when you decorate using natural materials instead.
For example, hardwood floors, wooden kitchen elements, all the way to stone, brick, and wicker all make for wonderful additions to your home’s look and feel. Choose sofa coverings and pillowcases made of cotton, silk, or linen, for another dose of nature, too.
Make sure your space has plenty of light
As the old, majestic song goes, “let the sunshine in”. Nothing can beat the beauty and the soothing impact of natural daylight. For some homes, that means swapping those heavy winter curtains for something breezier and lighter in color, too. For others, that might mean going with a whole new set of floor-to-ceiling windows that will permeate your entire rooms with sunlight.
If anything can help you defeat seasonal depression, which can be quite difficult to cope with during cold winter months, that would be the lighting. However, when you know that you’re in for a few weeks of gloomy weather, you can invest in eye-friendly LED lamps and place them strategically around each room. That way you can create a different mood depending on whether you’re planning to binge-watch your favorite show, read a romantic novel, or get a bubble bath with scented candles next to you.
As you can see, sometimes the smallest changes to your décor can inspire the greatest feeling of comfort and serenity. Whether you’re in need of some quiet time after a long day at work, or you’re in the mood to read for hours with no interruptions, your entire home should represent your comfort zone. With these tips, transform your living environment as a way to take better care of yourself and your own needs.
Author Bio
Sophia Smith is a lifestyle blogger, graphic designer and DIY enthusiast. She is very passionate about eco-friendly and green topics, sustainable fashion, eco beauty, and conscious business. Sophia’s other hobbies center around her love for yoga, wellness rituals and living in balance with nature. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic beauty products and sustainability to self-care and decorating tips.
Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Sivana Spirit, Urban Naturale, Carousel, Cause Artist, Awaken, Literally Darling, Whytt Magazine, and Read Unwritten. You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter (@sophia_bri).
